Issues associated with the application to veterinarians of a mailed questionnaire regarding lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses.

The research focuses on the survey responses from veterinarians concerning lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses, highlighting their attitudes, causes, diagnosis, and the treatment of this disease.

Survey Methodology

• A questionnaire targeting the attitudes and practices of veterinarians regarding lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses was administered.
• The survey was sent via mail to all non-student members of the Australian Equine Veterinary Association, totaling to 648 individuals.
• The respondents were contacted two times by mail, and once by phone, all separated by a four weeks interval.
• Those who did not respond during the initial phases (mail and telephone) were re-contacted in the following phases until responses were obtained.

Survey Results

• Out of the 648 mailed questionnaires, 467 (approximately 72.1%) were returned.
• Of these returned questionnaires, 354 were completed and usable.
• 113 respondents did not complete the questionnaire for various reasons. The most common explanation (approximately 68%) was that their veterinary practice did not involve horses.
• Veterinarian respondents whose work was primarily focused on horses had higher rates of returning the completed questionnaire in earlier phases.
• The authors of the study noted that although their survey methodology deviated from typically used questionnaire designs, the obtained response rate was satisfactory for their research purposes.

Implications

• This survey provides useful insights into the perception and practices of veterinarians towards lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses.
• The response rate and provided explanations offer further understanding of this veterinary specialty. This information has implications for research design and response rate expectations in future similar studies.